American Football
American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football (Canada also has its own slightly different version,Canadian football) is a competitive team sport known as the manliest sport ever played. The objective of the game is to score points by getting the ball into the opposing team's end zone then rubbing it in their faces. The ball can be advanced by carrying it (a running play) or by throwing it to a teammate (a passing play). Points can be scored in a variety of ways, including carrying the ball over the opponent's goal line, catching a pass thrown over that goal line, kicking the ball through the goal posts at the opponent's end zone, or tackling an opposing ball carrier within his end zone. The winner is the team with the most points when the time expires. The sport is also played outside the United States, but no one really cares. American football is closely related to Canadian football, but with significant differences. American football is manlier. The major forms of football in the United States are Collegiate football and Professional Football. There have been numerous major Professional Football leagues in the U.S., but currently the only one that didn't crash and burn is the NFL. History Who the hell cares about history? Get outside and play, nerd. Advancing the ball Advancing the ball in American football resembles the six-tackle rule and the play-the-ball in rugby league. Then again, who knows any rugby rules. The team that takes possession of the ball (the offense) has four attempts, called downs, in which to advance the ball 10 yards (9.1 m) toward the defense's end zone. When the offense succeeds in gaining at least 10 yards, it gets a first down, meaning the team has another set of four downs to gain yet another 10 yards or to score. If the offense fails to gain a first down (10 yards) after 4 downs, the other team gets possession of the ball at the point where the fourth down ended, beginning with their first down to advance the ball in the opposite direction. Approximately 1/4 through the game all play stops as the first quarter ends. Halfway through the game it stops because of halftime. 3/4 through this paragraph, FIGURE IT OUT YOURSELF. Players can then advance the ball in two ways: By running with the ball, also known as rushing. By passing the ball forward, you execute a forward pass. Duh. The offense can throw the ball forward only once during a down and only from behind the line of scrimmage. The ball can be thrown, pitched, handed-off, or tossed sideways or backwards at any time. You tend to try to not give it to the other team. A down ends, and the ball becomes dead, after any of the following: The player with the ball is forced to the ground (a tackle) or has his forward progress halted by members of the other team (as determined by an official). A forward pass flies beyond the dimensions of the field (out of bounds) or touches the ground before it is caught. This is known as an incomplete pass. The ball is returned to the most recent line of scrimmage for the next down. The ball or the player with the ball goes out of bounds. A team scores. If a player dies, the game usually ends. Officials blow a whistle to notify players that the down is over. You blow an official if you want to win. Before each down, each team chooses a play, or coordinated movements and actions, that the players should follow on a down. Sometimes, downs themselves are referred to as "plays." Scoring A team scores points by the following plays: A touchdown (TD) is worth 6 points. It is scored when a player runs the ball into or catches a pass in his opponent's end zone. A touchdown is analogous to a try in rugby. Unlike rugby, a player does not have to touch the ball to the ground to score; a touchdown is scored any time a player has possession of the ball while the ball is on or beyond the opponents' goal line (or the plane above it). After a touchdown, the scoring team attempts a try (which is also analogous to the conversion in rugby). The ball is placed at the other team's 3-yard (2.7 m) line (the 2-yard (1.8 m) line in the NFL). The team can attempt to kick it over the crossbar and through the goal posts in the manner of a field goal for 1 point (an extra point or point-after touchdown (PAT), or run or pass it into the end zone in the manner of a touchdown for 2 points (a two-point conversion). In college football, if the defense intercepts or recovers a fumble during a one or two point conversion attempt and returns it to the opposing end zone, the defensive team is awarded the two points. A field goal (FG) is worth 3 points, and it is scored by kicking the ball over the crossbar and through the goal posts (uprights). Field goals may be placekicked (kicked when the ball is held vertically against the ground by a teammate) or drop-kicked (extremely uncommon in the modern game, with only two successes in sixty-plus years in the NFL). A field goal is usually attempted on fourth down instead of a punt when the ball is close to the opponent's goal line, or, when there is little or no time left to otherwise score. A safety, worth 2 points, is scored by the opposing team when the team in possession at the end of a down is responsible for the ball becoming dead behind its own goal line. For instance, a safety is scored by the "defense" if an offensive player is tackled, goes out of bounds, or fumbles the ball out of bounds in his own end zone.14 Safeties are relatively rare. Note that, though even more rare, the team initially on "offense" during a down can score a safety if a player of the original defense gains possession of the ball in front of his own goal line and then carries the ball or fumbles it into his own end zone where it becomes dead. However, if the ball becomes dead behind the goal line of the team in possession and its "opponent" is responsible for the ball being there (for instance, if the defense intercepts a forward pass in its own end zone and the ball becomes dead before the ball is advanced out of the end zone) it is a touchback: no points are scored and the team last in possession keeps possession with a first down at its own 20 yard line. In college, in the extremely rare instance that a safety is scored on a try, it is worth only 1 point. 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